Diffuser



June 1967 F. NEWELL ETAL 3,

DFFUsER F11ed oct 23 1965 2 SheetS-Sheet 1 June 1967 J. F. NEWELL ETAL 3,327,608

DIFFUSER Filed oct 23 1965 2 Sheetssheet 2 1his invention fe1ates to air diffusers and, nOTe particlllal'ly, to diffusers f the St-type which are con1[non1y 11Sed t0 contr01 the pattern of air discharge into a TO0In ffom a centra1 delivery SysteIT1 DiuSerS Of thiS type are c0mn10nly used in, but are not lifnited to, ceiling con- Structions.

A genera1 0bject Of thiS invention iS t0 Provide iIT1- proved pattern contr01 for diuSrS Of this type An0ther -genera1 0bject of this inventi011 is to c0mbine inlproved pattern control vvith an eifective dafnper control vvhich does not aect the selected 1)attern.

A Still further object 0f this invention is to provide a attefn contr01 and danper -Vhich is effective through a complete range of adjustInent Without altering the outef appeafance Of the diuSeT A furtheT Speciiic object Of thiS invention iS to provide a construction for a ditlSl and pattern cOnOl Which is Telatively SiTlple in construction and lends itse1f to facile aSSenbly Without decreasing the verSatiity of the difuSeT Pattern contT01 frofn the Standp0int Of ganging diuSeTs to increase delivefy volume While n1aintaining adequate pattern control (t her objects and advantages Will be p0inted out in, or be appafent fTO, the S ecicat0n and clain1s, as vvill obvious mOdicati0nS Of the en]bodin1ents sh0wn in the drawings, in Which:

FI(' 1 is a erspective view, )artiany exp10ded, Of a. difuSer Section constructed in accordance vith thS in- Vention;

FIG 2 iS an end View of the diuSer of FIC.... 1 With portions bfoken away t0 exp0se interna1 connections of the diffuser FI(...S. 3 and 4 ae generally SchenTatic i11t1strations ()f the dfuSer Section Of FGS. 1- and 2 illllstfating tw0 Of the HOW patterns available ff0m the diSer Section;

FIG j is a genera11y Schematic ill[]stration of an alternative embodiment of thS invention and illustrating a further available air OW pattern; and

FI(...' 6 iS a plan Vievv of an end of the diuSer Section of FIG 1.

AS Stated above diifusers Of lhis type have pa rticular application to, but aTe not linited to ceiling constructions Where the celing iS to include outlets for an ai distribution System and Where the diffuser is t0 control the dis- Charge 0f ail int0 ...I particulaf ro01n It will als0 be ap reciaed that aIthough the invention is to be descfibed in a verticany 0riented diuSer 0ther ()l eI1tat()nS can be 11Sed and, theref0fe, the ternls Vertical and horizonta1 ale used in the f01lovving discussion in a re1atve and not a lifniting Sense 0reOVeT, the diuSer can be used to cont r01 OWing nledia other han air but Since its najor application Will be in air Systems it win be described in that environlnent.

Typica11y a Paif 0 adacent T-bars, OT Other Suitable frame membes, are used in the ceiing ffame Work t0 define an elongated S10t through Which aiT is discharged 1 his invention iS concerned -vith the problen1 0f contr01ling the discharge through the Slot AS ill]1strated in the drawings, diffuser Secti011 includeS three Tbars 1(, 12 and 14 Vhich are felatively Spaced t0 dene a air 0f elongated Slots 16 and 18. AS Will be described hereinafter center T-ba 1 1z can be eliminated and end T'bars le and inoved c10ser together to rovide a Single S10t T-bars l, 12 and 14 include vertica, Parallel Sections 20, 2z and 24- The inner Walls of Sections 20 and 24 face the opposite Walls of Section zz S0 that the Walls c00perate t0 dene tw0 nlain air passages z6 and 28 therebetween Each of the veTtical Sections of the T-bars terninate in a transvefse ange 30, 32 and 34 arranged in Telative horizontal algn1ent but Spaced frolT1 each other to dene the Slots l and 18 at the exit ends of the main aif passages Flanges 3{ 32 and 34 forIn the outer face Of the diuSer and constitute the portion of the diffuser SectOn vvhich is visible in the ceiling The 0llte1 walls of Sections 20 and z4 are provided ith I-Sha ed in cross Section StripS 3 and 38 adjacent the upper or inner end of the T-bars' The I-Shaped Stri1)s c00perate With the Section Walls to define channe1s 0 ening outwardly, OT in the saIne direction as the inlet ends of main assages z and 28 0pen, to feceive the edges Of Si1itable duct W0Tk 39 (See FI(.... 2 vvhefe a ortion of the duct Work iS illu5tfated in the channels) This TO- Vides a Simple and eective nlanner O connecting the duct Work to the duSef section and n10re0ver assures roper aignnlent of the duct Work at the diuSer Section inlet to Provide eiCient delivery Of air to the diffuser Section.

At thjs point it Should be noted that Second I]-Shaped elenentS 40 and 42 aTe als0 provided on the outer vva11S Of SeciOnS 2 and 24. These eleInents face towafd proecti0nS 44 and 4 On the uppersides of Hanges 30 and 34 and de6ne a guideway for receipt of a Suitable joint nlember 48 Which iS used to connect two adjacent dif fuser sections in endtOend relati0ns, Such as is )artially illustrated in FIG( 1 to ernit ganging the diuSer sections to achieve a desired s10t length It Will be noted that T-baf 12 als0 includes L-Shaped element 50 facing toward elen1ent 5Z on ange 32 to rovide a si1ila1 guidevvay fol receipt of a Similar j0int member (not Shown) Fof convenience only one T-bar 1( Of' the next diuSer Sec tion has been i1lustfated in FIG 1 as it wm be ap eciated that each diifuser Section iS identica1 to that il1llstrated and alS0 for convenience Only one joint men1ber is illustrated as the connection is the Same at T-ba'rs lz and l4 The guideways dened by eiements 44 and 4z2 rovide an additional function in that they provide a. Sin1 e 1()int of connection f0f hangef bracket 54( Hanger braCet 54 Pfefefably includes a baSe portion 5 Which Slides into the guideway and a connection nember 58 t0 Which a conventional attachinent (not Shown) can be made to Suspend the diuSer section in the ceiling frame Work one ol n10re hanger b'ackets can be sin1ilarly n10unted on each Side 0f the diuSer Section as may be required to provide Stable Suppoft and dependng on the length of the diuSer Section Suitable end brackets 6 can be provided at the innel longitudina1 ends 0f the diuSer Sections These end brackets lend rigidity to the diuSer section and also pr0- Vide a point at Which the duct work Can be anchored to the diuSef section for exan1ple by assing Screvvs (n0t shown) through openings Z and and Suitably con- Ilecting the screws to the duct.

Vith this arrangement T-bafs G, 12' and l dene Inain ail assages 26 and z8 having inlet 0penings 5 and 68 connected With te duct and exit 0penings l{; and 18 through Which the aif iS dSchaTged int0 the r00m The attern of discharge int0 the T00m through the diiuSel Section is contr011ed by air HOVV Pattern contr0ls disposed in each 0 the main air assages z and z8. Fixed deHectors 7) and 72 are arranged in ail passages 26 and z and Structurally include paj[ition ortions 74 and 76 and deectOr portions 78 and 8). Partition p0rti0ns 74 and 7 are arranged parallel to the direction of air 0W through Passages z and z8 and extend genera11y the 9 Said exit end and engaged in the opening in each of Said deHectors.

17. The diffuser of claim lz including a support member connected to and extending between Said rSt and second T-shaped members,

and spring means operatively disposed between and roviding a releasable snap connection between Said deHectofs and Said support member' 18' The diffuser of claim including a Support member connected to and extending between said rSt and second Inembers,

and Spring means 0peratively disp0sed between and providing a releasable Snap connection between Said deector and said support Inen1 bcr 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,l26,8ll 3/l964 Kennedy 98-40 3,18,067 /196j Batche101 9840 3,223,019 lz/l965 Schuh 9840 3,242,87 3/1966- Averill et al 9840 

1. A DIFFUSER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, FIRST AND SECOND RELATIVELY SPACED MEMBERS INCLUDING WALLS FACING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND DEFINING A MAIN PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN HAVING INLET AND EXIT ENDS OF PERMIT FLOW THROUGH SAID MAIN PASSAGE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS EACH INCLUDING FLNAGE MEANS EXTENDING LATERALLY OF SAID WALLS INTO SAID MAIN PASSAGE ADJACENT SAID EXIT END AND TERMINATING IN RELATIVE SPACED RELATION TO PERMIT FLOW THEREBETWEEN, A DEFLECTOR MOUNTED IN FIXED RELATION BETWEEN SAID WALLS AND INCLUDING A FIRST PORTION EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THROUGH SAID MAIN PASSAGE AND DIVIDING SAID MAIN PASSAGE INTO FIRST AND SECOND FLOW PASSAGES, SAID DEFLECTOR ALSO INCLUDING A SECOND PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST PORTION AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM BOTH SIDES OF SAID FIRST PORTION INTO EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLOW PASSAGES BUT TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID WALLS TO PERMIT FLOW THEREBETWEEN, SAID SECOND DEFLECTOR PORTION BEING SPACED UPSTREAM OF SAID FLANGE MEANS AND BEING IN THE PATH OF FLOW THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES TO CAUSE A CHANGE IN FLOW DIRECTION UPSTREAM OF SAID FLANGE MEANS, FIRST AND SECOND CONTROL BLADES, AND MEANS CONNECTING ONE OF SAID BLADES TO EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS IN EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES SUPPORTING SAID BLADES FOR INDEPENDENT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES INTO AND OUT OF A FIRST POSITION EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS AND SAID DEFLECTOR TO SELECTIVELY INTERRUPT FLOW THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES AND OPEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGES TO FLOW. 